The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was prepared for potential cyberattacks that may occur on Wednesday, November 5, which is Guy Fawkes Day in Britain.
The date November 5 was popularized by the 2005 film ‘V for Vendetta.’ It commemorates the failed 1605 plot by a group of English Catholics – among them a soldier named Guy Fawkes – in an attempt to assassinate King James I and members of the Houses of Parliament.
Fawkes’ image is a symbol widely used by hacktivist groups.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) warned of a ‘flood’ of web traffic causing distributed denial of service (DDoS) incidents that may slow down or temporarily prevent users from accessing targeted sites.
‘The PNP is prepared for any possible cyberattacks. We keep reminding our units and personnel to always secure the different systems of the PNP,’ Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said in a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday.
A DDoS attack is a type of cyberattack that uses multiple computers or devices to flood a website, server, or online service with an overwhelming amount of traffic, overloading the target site’s resources and preventing legitimate users from accessing it or using a service.
According to acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the police force is protecting its digital systems and access to its data, particularly its databases for logistics, firearms, electronic warrants, and criminal records.
‘The PNP is continuously protecting our systems, especially since we are already using e-governance. ‘To protect our systems, ginagawa natin ang iba’t ibang activities like to ensure firewalls, to ensure the integrity of hardware and software. To protect our systems, we do activities like ensuring firewalls, ensuring the integrity of hardware and software,’ Nartatez said at the briefing in a mix of English and Filipino.